Adam Brown, Elder
File photo by Wayne Litmer
Two of Ohio’s premier teams will open the October schedule with a Greater Catholic League South division showdown at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Ballaban Field.
Most fans around Southwest Ohio believed both teams would be undefeated going into this game, but St. Xavier suffered a stunning upset to host Fort Thomas Highlands (Ky.), 12-7, in a game that was televised on the CBS College Sports Network.
St. X (4-1) was held scoreless until 27 seconds left when senior quarterback Luke Massa threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Kraemer. It was an uncharacteristic game for the Bombers, who had defeated two consecutive Kentucky state powers by a 67-20 advantage the past two weeks.
Despite the loss, Elder coach Doug Ramsey believes the Bombers will have plenty of motivation for their first home game against an Ohio opponent this season.
"(St. X) got beat (last) week," Ramsey was quoted in the Cincinnati Enquirer as telling Cincinnati radio station WNOP-AM last weekend. "But, I think that’s going to give them even a little more to play for."
Elder (5-0) continued a strong season as it defeated host Lakewood St. Edward 38-14 on Saturday. The Panthers played very well in northeast Ohio, but might have taken a serious injury hit early in the game. Elder reportedly could be without senior defensive lineman Pete Bachman (an Indiana commit) for the remainder of the season due to injury.
Despite the reported injury, Elder senior quarterback Mark Miller was superb – 24-of-26 passing for 309 yards and four touchdowns. Senior receiver Tim O’Conner, an Indiana commit, matched a season-high seven receptions and had 136 yards and a touchdown.
Elder is ranked No. 3 nationally in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 poll, while St. Xavier is No. 16 nationally.
Elder, the Division I state runner-up in 2008, defeated St. X 33-15 last season on Sept. 26, 2008. Elder leads the all-time series 47-35-6, with the first meeting dating back to 1923 when St. X won 20-0.
Showdown in Columbus
Dublin Coffman and Groveport-Madison were undefeated with 4-0 records heading into Friday’s game, but Brady Quinn’s alma mater took care of business with a 51-7 win over Groveport-Madison. Coffman junior quarterback Cole Stoudt was 17-of-23 passing for 219 yards and five touchdowns. Coffman is ranked No. 6 in the Associated Press Division I state poll, while Groveport-Madison is 11th.
Going to West Coast
Columbus Brookhaven senior defensive end Derrick Bryant (6-foot-4, 230 pounds) made an oral commitment to play football at UCLA, several media outlets reported last week. Bryant, one of the state’s top players in the 2010 class, also reportedly had offers that included Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Kansas.
The Los Angeles Times reported Bryant made an official visit the weekend of Sept. 19.
"I just liked everything," Bryant told the Times. "My entire visit, everything I saw, sold me. This is where I was coming, hands down. I loved the atmosphere, looking out at the hills around the school, seeing all those houses, the atmosphere, being between Beverly Hills and Bel-Air."
Norwell out for the season
Cincinnati Anderson senior offensive lineman Andrew Norwell (an Ohio State commit) is out for the remainder of his final high school season due to a tibia injury above his left ankle that he suffered Sept. 18 at Columbus DeSales, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Norwell, who is 6-7 and 275 pounds, is rated No. 37 nationally in the 2010 class by MaxPreps Top Recruits list.
Norwell had surgery on Sept. 21 and could miss the high school basketball season. However, Anderson coach Jeff Giesting told the Enquirer that Norwell should be ready for the start of his Buckeyes’ career in 2010. Giesting said it wasn’t immediately known if Norwell would be ready for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Jan. 9 in San Antonio.
Among the outstanding efforts this week
- Cincinnati St. Ursula senior Liz Burchenal had a hat trick as the state’s top-ranked Bulldogs defeated Cincinnati Ursuline 4-2 last Wednesday night. Burchenal climbed to 22 goals on the season with the three goals. She is orally committed to North Carolina.
- Canal Winchester girls volleyball coach Colleen Ross got her 500th coaching win recently, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Canal Winchester defeated Teays Valley 25-17, 25-20, 25-17 on Tuesday night. Ross is in her 29th season at the school, according to the Dispatch.
- Colerain junior running back Tyler Williams rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries as the visiting Cardinals defeated Hamilton 27-16 Thursday night. The game was televised locally on a rainy night.
- Lebanon senior receiver Chase Cochran (an Ohio University commit) had 12 receptions for 296 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-26 win over visiting Piqua. Cochran became the school’s all-time receptions leader during the game. He also set a school record for most receiving yards in a game.
Looking ahead
Cincinnati St. Ursula at Ursuline girls volleyball, 6:30 p.m. Thursday: Ursuline remained undefeated at the start of the week, but will certainly be challenged by a rigorous Girls’ Greater Cincinnati League schedule this week. Ursuline plays host to Mercy on Tuesday before it plays host to Cincinnati St. Ursula later in the week. Ursuline is ranked No. 4 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 national rankings. The Lions defeated visiting Mount Notre Dame 22-25, 25-13, 25-17, 25-22 in front of more than 1,300 fans last Thursday. Jade Henderson had 17 kills and 24 digs, while Lauren Marlatt (Winthrop commit) had 10 kills.
Cincinnati Princeton at Cincinnati Colerain football, 7:30 p.m. Friday: A very interesting matchup between the Cardinals and Princeton dynamic senior quarterback Spencer Ware (an LSU commit). Colerain must continue to win in hopes of a postseason berth after an 0-2 start. Princeton needs a win to keep pace in the Greater Miami Conference and possibly the postseason.
Cincinnati Winton Woods at Cincinnati Anderson football, 7:30 p.m. Friday: A very highly anticipated game in the Fort Ancient Valley Conference Buckeye Division. Anderson defeated Winton Woods 24-21 in the second round of the Division II playoffs last season. Anderson is now Division I, while Winton Woods remained in the same division. This is Anderson’s first significant test without All-America offensive lineman Andrew Norwell (an Ohio State commit), who is out for the season due to a tibia injury above his left ankle.
Other recruiting news
Hamilton senior defensive tackle Darius Gilbert (6-2, 260) was scheduled to visit Bowling Green this past weekend for the Bowling Green-Boise State game. Gilbert, who has several other Mid-American Conference offers, is reportedly close to a decision, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. …West Chester Lakota West senior linebacker Jordan Hicks (6-2, 225) took an unofficial visit to the University of Florida the weekend of Sept. 19; he plans to take an official visit to Gainesville in December. …West Chester Lakota West senior tight end Alex Smith (6-5, 260) plans to take official visits to schools that include North Carolina, South Carolina and the University of Cincinnati. Smith orally committed to Cincinnati in February.
Random thoughts
The Fairfield football team has more wins (three) than it did the past three seasons combined. Fairfield (3-2) plays at Middletown Friday night. The Indians had a 2-27 record from 2006-08. …Former Cincinnati Wyoming football coach Bob Lewis died Thursday morning at the age of 83. The Wyoming football stadium is named after Lewis, who coached from 1956-1978 at the school. He led Wyoming to a state title in 1977. …The National Federation of State High School Associations announced that beginning next season boys lacrosse players must wrap their fingers around the handle of the crosse during a faceoff. …The start of the postseason golf tournaments begin Monday across the state of Ohio.
Mike Dyer has covered high school sports in Ohio for nine years.
